Apple
by Prince Snivellus
Summary: Severus goes missing. Harry is surprised to find out why. HPSS Written for Alchemia Dent and Bugland.


**Title:** Apple  
**Author:** Prince Snivellus  
**Pairing/s:** HP/SS  
**Warnings:** slash, moral!Story  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** Severus goes missing. Harry is surprised to find out why.  
**Disclaimers and Notes:** Belongs to JKR. Short story written for Alchemia Dent and Bugland (www dot intertexius dot com) during a time I think they both need love. I posted this first on Livejournal. A first for me.  
**For those waiting on my update of Lips:** Coming soon! I have the storyboard drawn out! Now I just need to illustrate it, basically!

**Apple  
Harry's POV**

He was not in bed when I awoke. Not in the the bathroom, the library, the living room, the kitchen, the _house_. Not a single one of the house elves had spotted him anywhere on the property.

I panicked.

Where could he be? Usually, if he was not wrapped in my arms when I woke up in the early hours of the morning, he was in the kitchen drinking coffee, or the bathroom, taking a his regularly short shower.

There were no traces of him packing, so I ruled out the option of him having left me, although a muted ache still plagued my worries at the possibility.

Slipping down the marble hallway of my home, (it was all still new to me, this grand mansion) I headed toward the fireplace. Maybe he went to visit someone...? But who would he have to visit? He was not the sociable type. Perhaps... Cheating?

Entirely impossible. Entirely. I nodded at my reflection in the circular mirror above the fireplace, in an attempt to weakly assure myself that Severus had not grown tired of my childish antics and left to find someone much more suitable and mature.

Inhaling to calm my nerves, I reached for the floo powder and stopped with my hand outstretched. According to my watch, it had only been half an hour since Severus's disappearance that morning.

_Oh, Merlin, I'm getting worked up over nothing again._ I sighed. _I really am a child._

Sadly, I sat down on the huge, cushioned couch near the fireplace, and decided that within an hour, if no word was sent, I would attempt to search for the man.

Still, the fear that Severus could be in danger was all too prominant in my mind. He had been, afterall, an active Deatheater.

--

"Hey."

I opened my eyes weakly, allowing them to adjust to the stream of violent light reaching from the window. I yawned, and vaguely noted that there were no windows in the living room.

"Wake up, you insolent brat!" I jolted up. Severus! He was _alive_!

"Severus, where have you been?" I shouted happily. Severus glared in return. He wore his typical meticulous clothing, but his hair was a mess, flailing in all directions. He was attempting to handle several piles of blankets. I looked down to see myself still in my pajamas, lacking the warmth of my blankets.

"Was it a dream?" I asked myself oddly, scrunching my eyebrows together.

"Was what a dream, Harry?" He sounded annoyed.

"I thought you were gone. I. Er. Woke up already."

Heaving a sigh, Severus said, "I did leave this morning. When I came home, I found you passed out on the couch, so I simply brought you to a bed, where _civilized_ people sleep."

"Oh." I yawned, and stood. Severus awkwardly shoved the blankets back onto the small bed that stood out in the large room. We did not want a bigger bed.

"I'm relieved. I thought you'd... Er, well. Maybe you'd gotten yourself in trouble or something." I smiled stupidly at Severus, hoping he would understand that I was worried, and I loved him.

"Don't be ridiculous. Anyone lacking enough foresight to avoid approaching me deserves the torment they would endure at my hand." Severus lightly added, "I'm okay."

"Good."

--

At dinner, we ate a meal consisting of far too many vegetables to suit my liking, but I ate all the carrots and parsnips the house elves had boiled. Severus ate more than usual, enjoying an excess of plain bread, to my surprise.

"The bread good?" I asked a bit sarcastically.

"Yes. I am indulging. I missed both breakfast and lunch, Potter." He sneered, but I had come to realize that it was more of a habit than a meaningful insult. 

"Where _did_ you go this morning?" I had forgotten to ask as we both had been too occupied with eachother and the bed sheets to do much talking.

"Shopping. You do realize that every home must be restocked, correct?" He smiled slimly, staring at his half-eaten chunk of bread.

"Yeah. Er. What did you buy?" I felt silly for panicking so much earlier, and blushed. I tried to hide it by taking a drink of milk from my goblet.

"Pie."

I gaped. "What?"

"Have you lost your hearing, boy? I said, 'pie'. I ate all the pie you bought earlier, so I replaced it."

"P-pi...Pie." I laughed and reached out to hold Severus's hand as his face contorted in emberrassment. He pulled away, and began to stand.

"N-no! Severus. I just..." I had to stop or I would continue to laugh, and scare him off. His face was red across the cheeks and down the neck. "Sorry, I just couldn't help but imagine the look on the shop owner's face." I smiled and stood to place myself in front of Severus, who was quickly retreating from the dining room.

"Shut up!" He sounded angry, and his voice wobbled somewhat, as if he were about to cry. My face fell. It was rare for Severus to show such intimate emotions, even to me. Standing behind him as he looked directly at the door, I placed my hand on his hip and pressed myself against his back.

"Hey... Sorry. I'm sorry." When no response came, I reached around his torso and clung like an infant.

"I know," he said. I turned Severus around, glad to see that he was calmer.

"I was worried you'd left me this morning. Or that someone had hurt you." I admitted foolishly. "That's why I laughed. I felt stupid."

He bent forward, closer to my face, but stopped abruptly. I wanted him to kiss me, and not hesitate. I pulled his face to mine, kissing him gently, lips only.

"What type of pie did you get?"

"Apple."

"My favorite."

"I know."

_End._


End file.
